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Bacteria from the animal are often present on the surface of the raw meat and poultry. When the meat is ground, the bacteria are mixed throughout the meat. 

When cooking a hamburger, it's important to handle the meat safely. Keep the meat cold until you're ready to cook it, and ensure your work surfaces are clean. Always wash your hands before and after handling ground beef.

Illustration: Elnora Turner. © The Spruce, 2019.

After about 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, check the burger for doneness. Place an instant-read thermometer in the center of the thickest burger. For thinner burgers, insert the thermometer horizontally from the side.

Guide To Burger Temperatures

Rare: 120-125 F

Medium-Rare: 130-135 F

Medium: 140-145 F

Medium-Well: 150-155 F

Well-Done: 160-165 F

USDA Temperature Guidelines

According to the USDA, the minimum safe temperature for ground meat is 160 F (71 C), which corresponds to well done. For ground turkey or chicken, this temperature is slightly higher at 165 F (74 C).. It typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach these temperatures, depending on the thickness or size of the burgers. It's particularly important to cook ground meat to a safe temperature for children or the elderly, as they are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses.

After using a food thermometer, be sure to clean it with hot, soapy water.

The Spruce Eats/Diana Chistruga

Though any temperature under 160 F/71 C or 165 F/ 74 C for ground poultry—is not considered safe for ground meat, here is a list of cooking times for varying degrees of doneness for burgers:

Rare: 120-125 F

Medium-Rare: 130-135 F

Medium: 140-145 F

Medium-Well: 150-155 F

Well-Done: 160-165 F

Temperatures for Safe Meat, Poultry, and Fish

Burger Recipes

Now that you know how to cook a burger safely, it's time to cook some up. Here are some delicious burger recipes for you to try out at your next barbecue.

Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe minimum internal temperature chart. Updated May 11, 2020.